*NEW YORK — It was less than three years ago that Michael Bloomberg, who’s now thinking about running for president, said that it was “impossible’’ for him or any independent candidate to reach the White House.

A new national poll suggests that he may have been right the first time, and that his candidacy could change the election’s dynamics.

A USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll found that in a hypothetical race with Donald Trump as the Republican nominee and Bernie Sanders leading the Democratic ticket – presumably the scenario most conducive to a Bloomberg victory – Trump was chosen by 37% of likely voters, Sanders by 30%, and Bloomberg by 16%.

Without Bloomberg in the mix, Trump and Sanders were in a dead heat — 44% to 43%, within the poll’s margin of error. Bloomberg drew 13 percentage points from Sanders and only seven from Trump.*

The big news about this isn’t that Bloomberg is losing (despite the topic title), but that he takes more votes from Sanders than Trump. This all but confirms that Trump would win in a 3 way race between Bloomberg and Sanders.

*NEW YORK — It was less than three years ago that Michael Bloomberg, who’s now thinking about running for president, said that it was “impossible’’ for him or any independent candidate to reach the White House.

A new national poll suggests that he may have been right the first time, and that his candidacy could change the election’s dynamics.

A USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll found that in a hypothetical race with Donald Trump as the Republican nominee and Bernie Sanders leading the Democratic ticket – presumably the scenario most conducive to a Bloomberg victory – Trump was chosen by 37% of likely voters, Sanders by 30%, and Bloomberg by 16%.

Without Bloomberg in the mix, Trump and Sanders were in a dead heat — 44% to 43%, within the poll’s margin of error. Bloomberg drew 13 percentage points from Sanders and only seven from Trump.*

The big news about this isn’t that Bloomberg is losing (despite the topic title), but that he takes more votes from Sanders than Trump. This all but confirms that Trump would win in a 3 way race between Bloomberg and Sanders.

Would Trump also win in a three-way race between Bloomberg and Clinton?